Monday, May 8, 2017

10 women rescued from sex trafficking operation

At the arraignment for four suspects, a court translator translated the proceedings for one of the accused, right.

FIVE EXPLOITERS of 10 Asian women were arrested and charged for operating brothels in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood and nearby cities of Quincy, North Reading and Cambridge.Police raided five locations and made five arrests and freed 10 women being exploited in a sex trafficking operation. The women spoke little English but they brought in more than $100,000 a week to their exploiters.Attorney General Maura Healey, who has made combating sex trafficking one of her top priorities, said the “arrests follow a tragic pattern we are seeing in our neighborhoods — vulnerable individuals being preyed upon and sexually exploited for profit.”

“We want victims to know that they will not be prosecuted and that our offices will work to make sure they receive the services they need and deserve.”

Pingxia Fan and Simon Shimao Lin, both of Boston, and Timothy Hayes, of Gloucester, pleaded not guilty to charges including trafficking of persons for sexual servitude, deriving support from prostitution and keeping a house of ill fame, according to the Boston Herald. A judge set their bail at $150,000.

Robert Mozer and Biqun Xiao, both of Deerfield, New Hampshire, were charged with conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude. Bail for Mozer was set at $50,000 after he entered a not guilty plea.

A fifth suspect, Biqun Xiao, 47, of Deerfield, N.H., was charged with conspiracy to traffic persons for sexual servitude and was arraigned Friday (May 5).

The victims, all Asian women forced into the sex trade, were brought here from Flushing, N.Y., said Nancy Rothstein, a prosecutor with the attorney general’s human trafficking division.

“They’re taken to a brothel location where they’re not permitted to leave,” Rothstein told the judge.

“They are given food and after a couple of weeks, they’re taken to another brothel location.”

“What we’ve heard from most of the commercial sex buyers who we interviewed in this case …. would say there was pretty much only mattresses there,” she said.

Prosecutors say agents from the FBI and the Attorney General’s office have been investigating the operation since January. Law enforcement agencies busted the sophisticated and lucrative sex trafficking and money laundering racket in raids targeting five brothels, two homes and several vehicles in the five locations, according to the Boston Herald.

This house in Quincy, Mass. was used as a brothel.

Prospective "johns" would find the women on backpage.com and arrangements would be made to meet the women at the different locales.The "arrests follow a tragic pattern we are seeing in our neighborhoods—vulnerable individuals being preyed upon and sexually exploited for profit,” said AG Healey. “We want victims to know that they will not be prosecuted and that our offices will work to make sure they receive the services they need and deserve.”

“Sex trafficking is without a doubt, the most common form of modern-day slavery and it’s big business,” said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

“This case demonstrates the problem is right here within our communities, impacting victims, the safety of our neighborhoods, and our quality of life. Together, with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to identify and locate the criminal enterprises that are perpetrating these egregious crimes,” said Shaw.